Brand New

Posted by Iain Robb onApril 12, 2017 at 2:25 pm

The Birth of Luxury Lifestyle Brands

At Watch Anish our Instagram profiles, Snapchat Stories, and this very website are filled by some, if not all, of the most recognisable and desirable luxury brands in the world. We cover the full spectrum of luxury from travel, to automotive, to even the occasional watch. We are well versed arbiters of quality and design. It’s the reason you’re reading this right now. We examine what makes you, and us, covet these items and experiences.

In our debut issue of Watch Anish Magazine, Nick Foulkes precis his epic new tome, Patek Philippe; An Authorised Biography, in which he examines the creation and history of one of the most storied luxury brands in the world. It is a fascinating read, charting the ebbs and flows of 166 years of continuous production but it makes me wonder what it would have been like had Nick been able to talk to messrs Patek and Philippe in those early years of 1851 onwards.

Were we able to do that, it would also pose the question of how different would there story be if they were launching their brand in the 21st century? What concerns would they have in an age of Instagram? How would they fair in a time when memes are viral rather than smallpox? Would they strive towards the patronage of celebrity influencers in an age when those people are not the aristos of La Belle Epoque but are in fact reality tv stars with grande derrieres?

What would other brand builders in different fields be able to tell us of the difficult choices of design and direction, cash flow and innovation? The histories of Monsour Vuitton and Madame Chanel are well documented but to hear them in their own words at a time when their futures were not assured would be fascinating.

To that end we’ve got in touch with some modern day brand founders. People striving to create a brand while producing beautiful things. People with ideas and design innovations that we believe are worth talking about.

In a series of articles that we’re calling Brand New, we’ll examine what is driving these creators, what is inspiring them, what is hindering them, and how they’re overcoming the challenges that a very discerning and swamped luxury marketplace can produce.

The brand founders we’ll be talking to cover a wide range of sectors and products, from opticals, jewellery, shoes, tailoring, and beyond. We’ll revisit their progress and analyse how different markets respond to different pushes from the fledgling brands.

We’re excited to be in on the ground floor with these guys. To not only be able to say we were one of the first to have a pair of those shoes, or one of those jackets, but to have been there for the whole process. We know that our readership are people that feel the same way as us, the need to be informed, to be ahead of the pack, so we know you’ll get something out of this.

We’re looking forward to sharing Brand New with you. Watch this space.